Iberis plant named &#39;White Heat&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Iberis  plant named ‘White Heat’, characterized by its white-colored flowers, dark green-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, mounded-spreading growth habit, is disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/070,677 filed Sep. 2, 2014.

LATIN NAME OF GENUS AND SPECIES OF PLANT CLAIMED

Iberis amara

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘White Heat’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Iberis plant botanically known as Iberis amara and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘White Heat’.

The new cultivar originated in a controlled breeding program in Guadalupe, Calif. during the summer of 2010. The objective of the breeding program was the development Iberis cultivars that flower without vernalization and have a long blooming window.

The new Iberis cultivar is the result of open-pollination. The female (seed) parent of the new cultivar is the proprietary Iberis amara breeding selection coded NCT-12938-a, not patented, characterized by its white-colored flowers, dark green-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, mounded-spreading growth habit. The male (pollen) parent of the new cultivar is unknown. The new cultivar was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the above stated open-pollination during August 2011 in a controlled environment in Guadalupe, Calif.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings since August 2011 in Guadalupe, Calif. and Elburn, Ill. has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all of the characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedly observed and can be used to distinguish ‘White Heat’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Iberis plant:

1. White-colored flowers;

2. Dark green-colored foliage; and

3. Moderately vigorous, mounded-spreading growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the female parent primarily in being earlier to flower and in continuing to freely flower even under high heat conditions.

Of the many commercially available Iberis cultivars, the most similar in comparison to the new cultivar is ‘Masterpiece’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,280. However, in side by side comparisons, plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of ‘Masterpiece’ in at least the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new cultivar have smaller flowers than plants of ‘Masterpiece’; and

2. Plants of the new cultivar have a more spreading habit than plants of ‘Masterpiece’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typical flower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in the photographs differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed description, which accurately describes the colors of ‘White Heat’. The plants were grown in 1.7 gallon containers for approximately 8 weeks in a greenhouse and 9 weeks outdoors in West Chicago, Ill. Plants were given two pinches prior to transplant.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth and flowering habit of ‘White Heat’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of the inflorescences of ‘White Heat’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature, light intensity, and day length, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, 2007 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significance are used. The color values were determined in July 2015 under natural light conditions in West Chicago, Ill.

The following descriptions and measurements describe plants produced from cuttings from stock plants and grown under conditions comparable to those used in commercial practice. The plants were grown in 1.7 gallon containers for approximately 8 weeks in a greenhouse and 9 weeks outdoors in West Chicago, Ill. Plants were given two pinches prior to transplant. Greenhouse temperatures were maintained at approximately 60° F. to 68° F. (15.5° C. to 20° C.) during the day and approximately 55° F. to 60° F. (13° C. to 15.5° C.) during the night. No supplemental lighting was provided. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical plants.

-   Botanical classification: Iberis amara cultivar White Heat. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary Iberis amara breeding selection             coded NCT-12938-a, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Unknown. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal stem.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 12 to 14 days.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Approximately 28 to 35             days.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Commercial crop time.—Approximately 12 to 14 weeks from a             rooted cutting to finish in a 15 cm pot.         -   Growth habit and general appearance.—Moderately vigorous,             mounded-spreading.         -   Size.—Height from soil level to top of plant plane:             Approximately 28.0 cm. Width: Approximately 43.0 cm.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching. Quantity of main branches             per plant: Approximately 9.         -   Branch.—Shape: Ribbed. Strength: Strong. Length:             Approximately 13.0 cm. Diameter: Approximately 5.0 mm.             Length of central internode: Approximately 7.0 mm. Texture:             Ridged and moderately pubescent. Color of young stems: 146C.             Color of mature stems: 146C tinted with 187A in sun, stems             become woody 199B with age. -   Foliage description:     -   -   General description.—Quantity of leaves per main branch:             Approximately 15. Fragrance: None detected. Form: Simple.             Arrangement: Alternate.         -   Leaves.—Aspect: Perpendicular or obtuse angle to stem.             Shape: Spatulate. Margin: Dentate, ciliate. Apex: Broadly             acute. Base: Attenuate, sessile. Venation pattern: Pinnate.             Length of mature leaf: Approximately 3.6 cm. Width of mature             leaf: Approximately 1.4 cm. Texture of upper and lower             surfaces: Glabrous, leathery. Color of upper surface of             young and mature foliage: N137A, venation indistinguishable.             Color of lower surface of young and mature foliage: 137C,             midvein 146D other venation indistinguishable. -   Flowering description:     -   -   Flowering habit.—‘White Heat’ is freely flowering under             outdoor growing conditions with substantially continuous             blooming from early spring through early winter.         -   Lastingness of individual flower on the plant.—Approximately             5 to 7 days. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   General description.—Type: Corymb. Quantity per plant:             Approximately 160. Fragrance: Slight. Length or height of             terminal corymb: Approximately 2.3 cm. Width of terminal             corymb: Approximately 2.5 cm. Length or height of axillary             corymb: Approximately 1.5 cm. Width of axillary corymb:             Approximately 2.0 cm. Quantity of fully open flowers per             terminal corymb: Approximately 22. Quantity of fully open             flowers per axillary corymb: Approximately 12.         -   Peduncle.—Strength: Strong. Aspect: Primary erect, axillary             acute angle to stem. Length of primary: Approximately             1.5 cm. Diameter of primary: Approximately 1.5 mm. Length of             axillary: Approximately 2.5 cm. Diameter of axillary:             Approximately 1.0 mm. Texture: Moderately pubescent. Color:             146B tinted with 187A in sun. -   Flower description:     -   -   Type.—Small, asymmetrical cruciferous flowers with two             larger abaxial pairs of petals and two smaller adaxial             pairs, freely flowering, not persistent, facing outwardly to             upright.         -   Bud.—Rate of opening: Generally takes 3 to 4 days for bud to             progress from first color to fully open flower.         -   Bud just before opening.—Shape: Globose. Diameter:             Approximately 2.0 mm. Color: Sepal centers of 144A and             margins of NN155D tinted with 86B; petals of NN155D.         -   Corolla.—Shape: Cruciform lobes with claws surrounded by             calyx. Aspect: Facing upward and outward. Length:             Approximately 5.0 mm. Width: Approximately 6.0 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity: 4. Shape: Obovate. Margin: Entire. Apex:             Obtuse. Base: Attenuate. Length of abaxial lobe:             Approximately 4.0 mm. Width of abaxial lobe: Approximately             3.0 mm. Length of adaxial lobe: Approximately 1.0 mm. Width             of adaxial lobe: Approximately 1.0 mm. Length of claw:             Approximately 1.5 mm. Width of claw: Less than 1.0 mm. Color             of upper surface of lobe when first and fully open: NN155D.             Color of lower surface of lobe when first and fully open:             NN155D. Color of upper and lower surfaces of claw: NN155D             with a midvein of 145A.         -   Calyx.—Shape: Cupped. Diameter: Approximately 2.0 mm.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: 4, distinct. Shape: Elliptic.             Apex: Obtuse. Base: Truncate. Length: Approximately 2.0 mm.             Width: Approximately 1.0 mm. Texture of inner and outer             surfaces: Glabrous. Color of inner and outer surfaces:             Centers of 144B and margins of NN155D tinted with 86B.         -   Pedicel.—Strength: Strong, flexible. Aspect: Acute angle to             stem. Length: Approximately 5.0 mm. Diameter: Less than             1.0 mm. Texture: Adaxial surface densely glandular             pubescent. Color: 146B tinted with 187A in sun.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity: 6 per             flower. Stamen length: Approximately 2.0 mm, 1 pair slightly             shorter and inserted lower. Filament color: 145C tinted with             187A. Anther shape: Sagittate, dorsifixed. Anther color: 4A.             Pollen amount: Not observed. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity: 1             per flower, ovary superior, flattened orbicular. Pistil             length: Approximately 2.0 mm. Stigma shape: Bifid. Stigma             color: 145A tinted with 187A. Style length: Approximately             1.0 mm. Style color: N144D tinted with 187A. Ovary diameter:             Approximately 1.0 mm. Ovary color: N144D. -   Seed and fruit production: Neither seed nor fruit production has     been observed. -   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests     common to Iberis has not been observed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Iberis plant named ‘White Heat’, substantially as herein illustrated and described. 